HoneyBoo-Boo

He would still be using his Lao passport because he does not qualify for a US one. He can come and go from here anytime he likes as a green card holder.

Thank you very much LORIEandPHIL. :-D

For my fellow VJ members who have sponsored their spouses from Laos, I'm in need of your advice please. My husband currently has his two year conditional green card (expires March 2017) and his Lao passport does not expire until next June 2017. My MIL is very ill right now and he is scheduled to be leaving to go visit his family and her in three weeks. My question is, does he need to still apply for a visa to get into the country? I've asked several other people who went through similar circumstances and they have told me that he did not need to have a visa. I'm just worried that he may have trouble getting into the country with just the passport and when he is leaving to come home, they will ask him why he has a U.S. green card but still using a Lao passport. I checked on the Lao Embassy in D.C. website and it listed a $10 visa fee for Lao citizens. Does anyone know what the standard travel protocol would be in this situation please? Perhaps I really should just call the Lao Embassy in D.C. to double-check?

I don't think you have to have tens of thousands of dollars in the bank, however, it will be to your advantage that you can show you are financially stable to suupport your fiancee and your entire family in terms of being above the 125% poverty level and what's stated on the I-134 Affidavit of Support. The more that you can show to support your relationship, the better chance you and your fiancee will have. It also comes down to how well she does on her interview with the U.S. Consulate too.

From what I have heard from previous Laos petitioners, getting a marriage license from Laos is extremely difficult and expensive so many choose the K1 route. I'm sure you're aware of the corruption. I have an uncle in Lav52 that may be of some help. Let me know if you would like his contact information.

Quite honestly, the processing time of your K1 petition may possibly take up to 6-7 months for processing at the Service Centers due to background checks and other things. Then there is also the scheduling of the immigration interview at the U.S. Consulate which may take another 1-2 months depending on how busy they are. The Embassy in Vientiane are extremely backed up so they are doing all that they can to expedite the interviews. The entire K1 process can take up to a year or more. The key to all of this is having lots of patience, faith, and hope. Believe me, I can understand that the waiting is absolutely unbearable but you and your fiance(e) will have to do everything that you can to make the long distance less disheartening. Mine and I talked to each other via phone or Skype almost everyday for over a year now--that helped a lot.

Feel free to ask me if you have any questions. Hang in there!!

Pearl,

I'm really sorry to hear about the circumstances with your brother backing out on you. :-( I wasn't sure what the answer to your question would be so I called my lawyer to ask him about your question. :-D He did confirm that it shouldn't be a problem if you were starting your new job in November. It is VERY important that you do get your employer to write an employment verification letter stating your start date of the job, what your position is, and what the annual salary pay is. Also, you would submit 1-2 monthly pay stubs showing what you made for your new job too. He said that you should be okay as long as your income is at least or above the 125% poverty level.

Try not to stress too much Pearl. God's going to help you and Aamir. When he gets here to the States, and you file the adjustment petition, hopefully, your family disagreement will be resolved by then so your brother can help be your co-sponsor for that if needed. I'm keeping both of you, along with many others, from VJ in my prayers.

Take care and I hope you have a great afternoon. ;-D

Congrats Islandgal on your NOA2!!

Islandgal, you just tell them that you'll keep calling them until they get a move on your file. Also, mention that as a tax-paying citizen, you have the right to know what is going on with your file. I'm continuing to keep you and the rest who are waiting in my prayers. It becomes exhausting daily with the constant wondering and patience wears thin. I think that's why I got sick all of a sudden with the change in weather. I became unmotivated with everything even including not wanting to talk to my fiance which was really sad. The only thing that kept me going was constant praying and pleading with God. I think I wore Him out with sending prayers mixed with praise and begging. LOL. What I've learned from this experience is to keep the faith and hope alive every day despite your personal feelings inside.

Thank you VJ members for being my support circle! Islandgal, I know you are next--It's still early in the week. God's got you and your fiance on this, I know He will come through for you and the rest of the waiting members.

On a side note, please visit my profile for a status update.

I tried that the other day... I demanded a tier 2 and I got put on hold for over 35 minutes with no one answering....

It took about 10-15 minutes waiting for me. I say try again probably on a day that most likely the call volume would not be very high. About early afternoon right after the lunch time or probably mid-morning. Surprisingly, it was much quicker than I thought since I called today at about noon CST.

I cant put in any service requests until the end of the month because I have to wait for the time to lapse on this last one. I do not believe for a minute that my backgrounds are taking that long when I have a security clearance. The Tier 2 rep I last spoke to said that those usually go very quickly and cant understand whats taking so long. The request she put in to process the backgrounds based on that was rejected and a response was given administrative hold for backgrounds. I was also told because of that I am no longer able to put in for a service request. Administrative hold now blocks that option so I am now stuck with nothing to do.

Ugghh, that totally bites!!

Late on the congrats--Congrats to you, Tigerflower and the other ones! I'm very excited for all of you who are one step closer to being reunited with your loving partners.

Islandgal: I highly recommend that you call VSC and demand to speak with a tier 2 officer. I did today during my lunch and currently have a service request put in. I was told that the estimated timeframe to receive a status update would be by Oct. 20th but she indicated that I should hear something before that date--within the next week (3 business days or so). She also told me that my case was in the process of being reviewed with an officer right now. When you call, be polite--calmly ask questions. I stated to the officer that I knew for a fact that there were other petitioners' whose cases after my March 8th date that has already either received their NOA2 approvals or status update. She proceeded to explain to me that everyone's cases were different. I replied that I fully understand that, however, as tax paying citizens we ought to have a right to know what the status of our cases are without getting the scripted response. For instance, if my case was missing documents, and an RFE would most likely be issues--that information should be available in their system to inform us as the petitioners. I wasn't rude but I knew I had to be assertive. She told me that I should hear something within the next week and wished me a good weekend.

I say that you ought to do the same. Express your concerns otherwise, you'll be left every day wondering and being miserable which is what I've been doing for the last several days. Knowing what I know today does help me feel much better and more optimistic, having something to look forward to next week.

Again, thanks very much to all our March and some Feb. VJ members here for helping us who are still waiting to have a more hopeful outlook. God bless all of you!

HoneyBoo-Boo, I read one topic you posted, you said that you forgot to include Statement of Intent from both of you? is this true?

Yes, I did. When I realized this, I had my fiance sent me his and then I mailed it off to Vermont in July with both our letters. *sigh* Please God, don't tell me that that's probably the cause of the delay.

AmazingLove, I'm in venting mode tonight. Sorry. I'm trying with every ounce and bits and parts of me to be patient. Goodness, I don't know how many times in a day that I recite the Serenity prayer out loud and under my breath. Anyhoo, I will try to do better with being patient.

Islandgal, don't you start fretting. I think that's what really gets us messed up in our heads is when we see others' files and worry that that might happen to us too. I know this is funny comin' from me tonight since I'm in such a bitter mood, but THINK POSITIVE! Okay? I'm praying mighty hard for all of us who are waiting, especially one of our members in this thread who's petition is from February and they've still not receive any word yet. God Almighty, please help us stay sane during all of this!

I wonder if yours is one of the files in my stack that I'm watching? Did you use an attorney to file?

My case # ends in 2493 filed on March 8th. There is only 1 other file besides mine that is on that date. No, initially when I sent my paperwork, I did it myself. Last month, my relatives and parents thought I had screwed up on my paperwork so my parents insisted on hiring an attorney which I did for the sake of peace (tired of listening to them nag on and on about everything with this process). I mean it's already stressful for me as it is dealing with the waiting, but to have others around you--family/relatives question me and my ability to properly file paperwork too? My goodness...Anyhoo, I don't know Islandgirl, most likely we may be in the SAME stack of files that the idiotic morons are purposely looking over day in and day out. What a waste of my tax money!!

Is it normal to be feeling super resentful, hateful, and plain crazy?? The file before me received a RFE dated 8/20/12 and the file AFTER mine received a RFE dated 9/28/12. Pretty much there is only one other I-129 petition besides mine left sitting in "Initial Review." I am going to call tomorrow to my attorney and USCIS to pitch my fits. This is utterly ridiculous--I'm screaming bloody murder!!!

Goodness sake, in the midst of this craziness of waiting and WAITING, I think I've lost my mind completely. QUESTION: So I've been checking on the USCIS site to check the status of my case. It says that they received my petition on March 8th, however, on my NOA1 it is dated for the receipt of 03/08/12 and the notice date of 03/12/12. Is my NOA1 date 03/08/12 or 03/12/12? I was thinking March 8th but I am getting myself confused when checking the timeline to find out the NOA1 date. If it's indeed March 8th then I've reached the 207 days mark.

To the OP: Never mind the sarcasm and self-righteousness; everyone likes to be right.

It sounds like you did everything right! I am sorry your lawyer told you that you made a mistake by sending it courier; that put the blame on you but you didn't do anything wrong. Of course you're going to send something like that via courier, they are sensitive papers. It just depends on where you live, that's all. I am sure you will hear something any day. Best of luck to you and everyone else that has waited so long to hear something from VSC.

Thank you very much for your kind words, JensJrny2Ray. :-D

FYI - I'm the woman from the U.S. petitioning for my fiance (MALE). Also, I've read all that's been posted under the K1 process links that Darnell has listed in his point deductions. I've read the I-129F instructions as well. After all that's said and done, attorney's been hired and that's what he told me about the lockbox #######. Done. Basically, I've been waiting which is now past the dang 7 months mark--hitting the 8 months mark on October 8th with NO response except the stupid B.S. script that the USCIS reps spit out at me every time I call. I'm aggravated as it is about everyone (including my parents) questioning my capability of completing the paperwork correctly, and really don't need any more sarcastic/hateful comments.

Thanks.

I meant to say 7 months mark on October 12th. This is what happens when stress/anger gets to you.

FYI - I'm the woman from the U.S. petitioning for my fiance (MALE). Also, I've read all that's been posted under the K1 process links that Darnell has listed in his point deductions. I've read the I-129F instructions as well. After all that's said and done, attorney's been hired and that's what he told me about the lockbox #######. Done. Basically, I've been waiting which is now past the dang 7 months mark--hitting the 8 months mark on October 8th with NO response except the stupid B.S. script that the USCIS reps spit out at me every time I call. I'm aggravated as it is about everyone (including my parents) questioning my capability of completing the paperwork correctly, and really don't need any more sarcastic/hateful comments.

Thanks.

THANK YOU to all of you who have responded. I always feel better when I've read your responses, knowing that we're all anxiously waiting together. To see that you each can relate to how I'm feeling, gives me relieving confirmation that I am not going insane. LOL. This thread is my personal support group because none of my friends can truly understand whenever I whine and complain to them. I'll continue on praying for all of you and myself. Congratulations on the members who've received their NOA2 within the last week. May your journeys speed up much faster for happy reunions very soon!

For today's topic, what do we plan to do when my fiance gets here to the U.S.? I'm probably going to take him to an amusement park and have him ride on one of the roller-coasters with me. He's never seen one or rode on one! I'm afraid of roller-coasters so I think it'll be a fun experience for him to start his adjustment here in the States. He wants to try McDonald's too. Big Mac value meal #1 for him. :-D We're also planning a family vacation to Disney World!

I'm finding harder and harder to stay positive and being patient. Praying constantly like a mad woman and to no avail.--no answer, nothing in the mail, no status change. I want to curl up into a ball and cry! What else have y'all been doing to cope?

This has been one of the most agonizing, torturous process that I've ever had to deal with. My fiance has tried helping me to look on the bright side of things, and yet even his words of encouragement isn't doing much for me. I'm not motivated to work or do anything. I know that I'm not the only one dealing with this process. *sigh* If only I can crawl into a cave and spend the next 2 weeks there with no access to the internet, maybe then I'll feel a little better.

hmmm - all paperwork goes to the Dallas lockbox for initial intake,

then off to a service center (you got Vermont)for further processing.

what are you going on about ? If nothing else, please review the K-1 flowchart in the guides section.

Darnell, I believe by using the physical address in Lewisville, TX (because I sent my petition via overnight delivery) instead to the P.O. Box (Dallas lockbox) is the main reason why my petition was sent to Vermont instead of the California Servicing Center. My attorney stated that since there were no major time restrictions on the I-129F petitions then I should've sent it regular mail to the Lockbox which would've most likely been sent to CA (apparently the CA service center is processing petitions much faster).

Anyhoo, I've reviewed the K-1 flowchart enough to have it memorized. I've come to an understanding that throwing tantrums is useless--basically, I'm SOL and have to wait until the rep from Vermont actually does something with my paperwork.

At little bit late on this one. Why do you need a lawyer when you seem educated. Old HMONG folks don't know squat so you should not take their advice literally. If you compare (Laos) K1 timelines, you'll see everyone is within the 180 - 250 day range. Some of us are luckier than others due to NO RFE, issues or delays. Also your in Vermont and Your cousins in CA service center so don't compare the two. Also, that one DREAM ACT by Obama might have cause you some delay as well! Have patience...

Thank you for sharing your advice. The whole lawyer thing became a big deal for my parents so I just went along with what they wanted. It's simply a matter of picking the worthwhile battles with the elders, and for the most part, they've been very supportive. I'm sure the average of 180-250 days is the norm, however, the heart wants to hear what it desires the most so being patient can run thin from time to time. Unfortunately, according to the my attorney, I made the mistake of expediting my paperwork to the Dallas center instead of sending it regular mail. This prompted their center to send my paperwork to Vermont which is taking STINKING forever!! Gosh, I'm beyond mad and irritated at this point. I try to keep myself in a positive mood but it's getting harder and harder to do.

Thank you Tigerflower! It is my hope that WE, including you and many others here, and myself will get the answer that we've been anxiously waiting for before the weekend. Super power prayers tonight. Regardless of what happens, I will be super happy and celebrate with those who receive their NOA2 tomorrow. :-D

Here's the nifty part. While seeing the same "Initial Review" appear on your screen (or hopefully Not!), you'll notice your case number is displayed in the upper right corner. It's not sound programming, as it is displayed in a text field, not just text. But because of the way it is displayed, you can click in the box and change the last digit (or two or three) to see other petitions status. It doesn't reveal anything personal about the other petitioner, but you can see the date and their status to compare against yours.

Make sense?

Thank you Tigerflower! That's pretty cool! Well there's the two files before mine that are still in "Initial Review" status too. Appreciate you for sharing this with us. :-D

I just checked all of the March 7th case numbers over at the USCIS site. SIX approvals just today! Wow! And one of them was the case # right after mine.

Just curious, how do you check on that information on the USCIS site? I didn't know there was a way to check what case numbers and date USCIS was at in processing. Would you mind sharing that information with me please? My fiance and I are at the 6 months mark. I keep praying the Serenity prayer to keep me sane. This thread has been a huge help in keeping me informed with what's going for the VSC. BIG THANK YOU to all!